Gang-plow.



Patented Dec. 1, 19 14 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N. I. MILLIKEN.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1913.

1 NESSESM I:

. NORRIS PETERS 120.. PHOTO LITHOH WASHINGTON, D. C.

N. I. MIL LIKEN.

GANG .PLOW.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 19, 1913.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 VENTOR 7 AI/orney 'HE NORRIS PETERS CO. Pl-lllTfi-lllTHou WASHINGTON. D. c

N. I. MILLIKEN.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1913.

1, 1 1 9,624. Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

D/N V EN T 0/? may WTNESSES a I, I

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOTKLLITHQ. WASHING TON. D. c.

sra'rns Para NORMAN I. MILLIKEN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TOOLIVER GI-IILLED PLOW WORKS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

GANG-PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed. June 19, 1913. Serial No. 774,669.

To all whom it may concern Be it lmown that I, NORMAN I. MILLIKEN, ofSouth Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang Flows; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in gang plows and has for itsobject to provide simple and efficient means for impartingindependently, both lateral and vertical adjustment to each of theseveral plow beams of a gang plaw.

\Vith this object in view the invention consists in the features ofconstruction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the claim. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ofone of the plow beams of my improved gang plow; Fig. 2 is a detail viewshowing the connection of the bar 3with'the bracket 7 Fig. 3 is anenlarged plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the upper portion of the plow standard, andFig. 5 is a planview showing the truck frame and several plow units connected therewith.

1 represents the plow beam which is formed of the channelbars 23, theforward end of each beam section being secured to the arms 4, 46 bybolts 4 t and 4 and said arms being pivotally mounted at their forwardends upon the opposite ends of a bolt '5 which passes through a sleeve 6on the rear end of the laterally adjustable bracket 7. This bracket ispivoted to the frame by a bolt 8 which passes through the longitudinalcenter of its inclined rear side whereby the pivotal center of thebracket is approximately in line with the line of draft of the plow. Anare shaped slot 10 is formed at each end of the bracket and throughthese slots, the bolts 11 pass. By loosening the nuts 12 on the bolts11, the bracket may be swung upon its pivotal center and laterallyadjusted and the plow beam and plow attached thereto secured in anydesired lateral adjustment by then tightening the nuts 12.] The bracketis additionally secured by means of bolts 13, the heads 141 of which areinserted in recesses 15 formed in the flange 16 of the bracket, whilethe threaded portions of the bolts eX-' tend through holes in thevertical flange 17 of the frame and are secured in any desiredadjustment by means of the nuts 18. By pivoting the bracket at itscenter to the frame, the draft of the plow is transmitted to the framein a line which approximately coincides with a line passing through thelongitudinal center of the beam and the pivotal bearing of the bracketand hence the bracket will have little or no tendency to swing laterallyin either direction, and its lateral adjustment and that of the plowbeam and'plow may be quicklyeffected by means of the bolts at oppositeends of the bracket and on opposite sides of its pivotal bearing, andalso by the bolts which serve to adjustably secure the inclined end ofthe bracket to the upright flange of the plow frame, which serves tofirmly fasten the bracket to theplow frame. The channel bar ormember 3of the beam is connected with the arm 4?, in such manner that it canhave a slight vertical adjustment relatively tothe other beam member 2,for the purpose of leveling the soil engaging member at the rear end ofthe beamQ Such adjustment of the beam member 3 may be effected by screws3 3 passing through the flanges of the arm P and engaging said beammember 3,-the bar 3 being provided with a slot 3 for the passage of thebolt i 19 is a vertical sleeve mounted upon a plate 20 which is boltedto one of the channel bars of the beam. A sliding post 21. is mounted inthe sleeve and is free to slide vertically therein. The sliding post israised and lowered by means of a hand lever 22 pivotally mounted intheupper end of a bracket 23, and a connecting rod 24:, the upper end ofwhich is pivoted between the depending ends of two triangular plates 25secured to hand lever 22, while itslower end is pivoted to a sleeve 26firmly secured to the sliding post near its lower end. Upon the lowerend ofthe sliding post is mounted a sleeve 27 which is free to rotateand is upheld by engagement of an annular flange 28 on its upper endwith an annular flange 29 on the lower end of the non-rotatable sleeve26. A caster gage wheel 30 is mounted on an axle 31 carried by thetrailing arms 32, the forward ends of which are fastened to the rotarymovable sleeve 27.

The hand lever is locked in any desired adj ustment by means of a springactuated belt or catch which engages the teeth of a sector rack 8 1, thelower end of which is fastened to a projection. 35 on the sleeve 19,while its upper end is supported by an arm 37, the lower end of which isfastened to the bracket 23. A spiral spring 39 is connected with theplow beam by a link 40, while its upper end is connected with thetriangular plates on the hand lever.

When it is desired to lift the plow beam and plow attached thereto, thehand lever is forced downwardly and the upper end of the connecting rod24, to which the lever is pivotally connected, serves as its fulcrum andcauses the rear end of the lever to lift the plow beam and plow. Thearrangement of the connecting rod 24 with relation to the sliding post21, is such as to enable the plow beam to be lifted or verticallyadjusted with the minimum expenditure of power and avoid friction ofengaging surfaces. As the caster gage wheel is located in rear of thesliding post, the weight of the plow beam tends to tilt the lower end ofthe post rearwardly and its upper end forwardly. in order to counteractthis tendency and reduce the friction between the sliding post and thevertical sleeve in which it is mounted, when the plow beam is raised andlowered, the connecting rod is located in rear of the sliding post andconnected to its lower end, whereby the power is transmitted through theconnecting rod to the sliding post in the operation of lifting the beam.in a direction which tends to tilt the lower end of the sliding postforwardly and its upper end rearwardly and thereby counteract thetendency of the weight of the beam to tilt the post in the oppositedirection. By the foregoing arrangement of parts the friction between.the sliding post and its sleeve is minimized and the manipulation of theparts is greatly facilitated.

The spiral spring 39, is so arranged with relation to the hand leverthat when the latter is raised to its highest and least effectiveposition, the spring is stretched to its maximum extent and exerts itsmaximum force in assisting the plowman to raise the plow beam. As thehand lever is forced downwardly in the operation of lifting the beam,the effective power of the lever is increased and that of the spring isgradually decreased, and hence there is a mutual cooperation of thesetwo instrumentalities in raising and lowering the plow.

41 represents the plow standard, the upper end of which is provided witha forwardly projecting arm l2, having an arc shaped slot 43 in its rearend, while its forward end is provided with an open slot 44 in its upperedge and a break pin hole 45 near its lower edge. Between the sides ofthe arm and the channel beams are inter posed the friction plates 456,the forward ends of which are formed with depending lugs 47, each ofwhich. is provided with a .hole 48. The break pin 48 is inserted throughthe holes in the friction plates and the hole 45 in the arm of thestandard. A bolt 49 passes through holes 50 in the channel beams and theopen slot 4% in the forward end of the standard arm 42, serves to forceand hold the outer surfaces of the arm into snug frictional contact withthe inner surfaces of the friction plates 46, and to insure a large areaof frictional contact surface the opposite sides of the forward end ofthe standard arm are each provided with a flat bearing surface 51 whichextends the entire width of the arm.

52 is a stirrup the depending arms of which are interposed between therear end of the standard arm and the friction plates. A bolt 54: passesthrough the channel beams, the arms of the stirrup, the friction platesand the are shaped slot 4.3 in the standard arm, and is retained inplace by a nut 55. A set screw 56 passes through the upper end of thestirrup and engages the upper end of the standard. In order to insure anintimate frictional engagement of the rear end of the standard arm withthe inner surface of the friction plates, the rear end of the standardarm is provided on its opposite sides with ribs 57-58 having flat faces59 extending the entire width of the arm and which engage the innersurfaces of the friction plates. To adjust the angular position of thestandard with relation to the beam, for the purpose of varying the pitchor suction of the plow, the nut is loosened which permits the standardto be raised or lowered as may be desired and when properly adjusted thenut is again tightened with the effect of forcing the friction platesinto snug frictional contact with the opposite sides of the standard armand retaining it against accidental movement or displacement. The setscrew 56 is then adjusted so as to engage the upper edge of the standardand prevent its upward movement and displacement. It will thus beobserved that the pitch or suction of the plow may be readily varied tosuit different soils or conditions of the soil. In the event the plowshould strike an obstruction which would be liable to break or injurethe plow point or other part of the plow, the abnormal strain on theplow would operate to break the break pin and permit the plow to rotateon the bolt 54: and thus ride over the obstruction and thereby preservethe plow against breakage or injury. Whenever the soil is such that noobstructions of a character to injure the plow are liable to beencountered, the forward end of the standard arm may be secured to thebeam by a bolt 60.

and

While I have described one embodiment of my invention, I would have itunderstood that I do not restrict myself tothe particular constructionand arrangement of parts herein shown and described. It is evident thatthe laterally adjustable bracket which provides for the lateraladjustment of the beam, may be secured in its lateral adjustment bymeans of the set screws which extend through the upright flange of theframe and the bolts passing through the arc shaped slots at the oppositeends of the bracket might be dispensed with. As thus modified thecentral pivotal bolt or bearing for the bracket would be made of amplesize and strength to safely connect the plow beam to the frame and theset screws would serve to maintain the bracket at any desired lateraladjustment. The mechanism for raising and lowering the plow beam and baradjustably connecting the standard to the beam may also be modified inmany ways without departing from the spirit of my improvement, and henceI do not restrict myself to the exact construction and 'arrangement ofparts shown and described. Neither do I claim herein the manner ofmounting and adjusting the caster gage right to claim having a verticalflange, a plow, a bracket,

and a vertical bearing on which the bracket is pivotally connected withthe inclined frame at a point approximately in line with the maximumdraft of the plow, of adjusting bolts for adjustably connecting theopposite ends of the bracket with the vertical flange on the frame, andbolts for securing the opposite ends of the bracket to the horizontalportion of the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

NORMAN I. MILLIKEN.

Witnesses:

LOUISE A. MANN, H. SEYMOUR BETTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained torfive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. O."

